Exploring love and loss in ‘The New Romantics’
The New Romantics has explored everything from synthpop to psychedelic rock and coldwave over the years. The solo project of multi-instrumentalist Brandon Biondo, The New Romantics has released several singles and EPs since 2013. When Biondo was struck by the passing of his mother, he turned to the album format as a distraction. The result, The New Romantics, is a cohesive collection of sounds that mirrors Biondo’s own diverse set of influences. The album is shaped by his ability to make great music regardless of his chosen style. Listen to The New Romantics and read our interview with the Knoxville artist below.
You’ve been making music as The New Romantics for years. What brought you to the point of releasing this album?
My mom passed away in July of 2023. I had a handful of songs, but I had to start working on something because I was in a really bad place emotionally. I figured if I invested all of my time in finishing an actual album, I wouldn’t have time to feel. I wasn’t really planning on a physical release, but I got a message from Ben Smith who runs Gezellig and he just asked me, “How can I help you? What are you trying to do?” I just kind of blurted out that I needed someone to release my record (which was nowhere near finished at the time). I went back and forth with Ben sending different versions of the albums with different songs over the next two or so months. I think we ended on Beta v13.00 or something.
This being your self-titled debut album, did that add to the pressure?
I don’t think so. I didn’t feel pressured to write this album. I’d say the fact that I took so long to put one out, gave me a lot of time to think on what it is I’d like to put on one. I think there’s always the question of whether or not people will like it. At this point, I am always happy if they do, but I’m not wholly concerned with that. Especially with this album, it was something I needed for myself.
How would you describe your sound evolving over the years?
I’d say it’s gotten more refined and at times darker. I try not to be lazy when it comes to recording for the most part, but I had no idea what that meant until I started analyzing the things I was putting out pre-album. I’ve noticed that a lot of my older songs were very vague and maybe a bit fictional. The stuff I’ve been doing the last couple of years is very honest and personal lyrically. I think I’ve gotten a little more aware of what I like and don’t like about my own music.
The album is a compilation of all these different genres. Across the record, there’s coldwave (“Let You Down”), psych-rock (“Liquid Sky”), and synthpop (“The Fool.”). What were some of your influences when you were writing for this project?
My musical taste is all over the place. I’m kind of just looking at my top 25 in Apple Music and it’s pretty accurate. I’m less of an album person and more of a song/singles person. I think that’s got to be pretty obvious from the way this album sounds haha. I'm including a playlist (Spotify, Apple Music) because I think it’s a lot easier to get a sense of my influences on a song-per-song basis.
We’ve been playing “Hard To Let You Go” on repeat. How did that track come together?
I wrote and recorded this song the day I had to bury my mom. It was a surreal experience. I went to meet the funeral director at the cemetery where my grandmother was buried. My mom had asked to have her ashes buried near her plot. I brought several friends with me and this guy dropped my mom's ashes on the ground taking them out of the velvet bag he had them in. He picked them back up and dropped them again. I remember looking around at the couple of close friends who were there with me and everyone looked mortified. I remember just thinking about how conflicted I felt about the whole thing. My feelings toward my mom. Her death, her suffering in life. We had such a complicated relationship and never quite got on like it should be with family. Regardless, she was this person to me and it was just that. Hard to let her go because if she's gone, that conflict is gone, I'm alone, truly. I've got no parents left to lose now. It's something I can't quite describe. I just drove home crying my eyes out and recorded the song in an hour or so.
Do you have any favorites on the record?
I do. I still really love “Hard to Let You Go” and “You Got it Right”. I have a weird thing with my music. I don’t know if it’s just because I haven’t played live in quite a while or what, but when I listen to it, I feel like I’m listening to someone else. It never really feels like something I actually had a part in so I feel like it’s easier for me to listen to and kind of try to have an unbiased opinion.
What are some of the lyrical themes you explore on the album?
Death, depression, grief, suicidal ideation. God, that sounds so dark to say. There’s a lot of real emotion in there that, I think, sometimes gets obscured by how the music sounds. There are also some not-so-dark themes on the album. I’d say it’s pretty dark, but the bright parts are pretty bright. There’s some genuine love in there too.
Anything else you’d like people to know about The New Romantics?
My record is available now from Gezellig Records. They have a lot of really amazing artists as well. You should check them out. I also have another project called Walsh. It's very different from The New Romantics, but check it out if you've got a minute.
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